Privacy Tools
If you're looking for a specific solution to something, these are the hardware and software tools we recommend in a variety of categories. Our recommended privacy tools are primarily chosen based on security features, with additional emphasis on decentralized and open-source tools. They are applicable to a variety of threat models ranging from protection against global mass surveillance programs and avoiding big tech companies to mitigating attacks, but only you can determine what will work best for your needs.
If you want assistance figuring out the best privacy tools and alternative programs for your needs, start a discussion on our forum or our Matrix community!
For more details about each project, why they were chosen, and additional tips or tricks we recommend, click the "Learn more" link in each section, or click on the recommendation itself to be taken to that specific section of the page.
Tor Network¶
- Snowflake does not increase privacy, however it allows you to easily contribute to the Tor network and help people in censored networks achieve better privacy.
Desktop Web Browsers¶
Additional Resources¶
Mobile Web Browsers¶
Additional Resources¶
Operating Systems¶
Mobile¶
Android Apps¶
Desktop/PC¶
Router Firmware¶
Service Providers¶
Cloud Storage¶
DNS¶
DNS Providers¶
We recommend a number of encrypted DNS servers based on a variety of criteria, such as Mullvad and Quad9 amongst others. We recommend for you to read our pages on DNS before choosing a provider. In many cases, using an alternative DNS provider is not recommended.
Encrypted DNS Proxies¶
Self-hosted Solutions¶
Email¶
Email Aliasing Services¶
Self-Hosting Email¶
Financial Services¶
Payment Masking Services¶
Online Gift Card Marketplaces¶
Search Engines¶
VPN Providers¶
VPNs do not provide anonymity
Using a VPN will not keep your browsing habits anonymous, nor will it add additional security to non-secure (HTTP) traffic.
If you are looking for anonymity, you should use the Tor Browser instead of a VPN.
If you're looking for added security, you should always ensure you're connecting to websites using HTTPS. A VPN is not a replacement for good security practices.
Software¶
Calendar Sync¶
Cryptocurrency¶
Data and Metadata Redaction¶
Email Clients¶
Encryption Software¶
Operating System Disk Encryption
For encrypting your operating system drive, we typically recommend using whichever encryption tool your operating system provides, whether that is BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on macOS, or LUKS on Linux. These tools are included with the operating system and typically use hardware encryption elements such as a TPM that other full-disk encryption software like VeraCrypt do not. VeraCrypt is still suitable for non-operating system disks such as external drives, especially drives that may be accessed from multiple operating systems.
